This invention relates generally to a saddle girth for use with horses, and more particularly, to a novel saddle girth that inhibits the saddle from shifting longitudinally along the spine of the horse between the withers and the rump to prevent sores and chafing, thus providing more comfort for the horse, safety for the rider and peace of mind for the empathic horse owner.
Saddle girths for horses are used with all styles of saddles, including the styles of saddle commonly known as xe2x80x9cEnglishxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cWestern.xe2x80x9d Girths used with English saddles are typically made of leather and extend around and beneath the chest of the horse. Such a girth usually has two or three buckles at each segment for attachment to a corresponding billet or saddle strap on each side of the saddle. The buckles and/or saddle straps should provide a mechanism to adjust the girth in order to secure the saddle on the back of the horse. Generally, this is accomplished by pulling the saddle strap through the buckle until taut and then holding the saddle strap at that position by inserting the tongue of the buckle through the punch holes of the saddle strap.
Unlike girths used with English saddles, girths used with Western saddles are in the form of a cinch. Western saddles have rigging from both a front girth and a flank girth. Traditionally, one segment of the front girth is connected directly to the saddle while the other segment of the front girth is connected to the opposite side of the saddle by a latigo, which is a long strap on the saddle tree to tighten and fasten the front girth to the saddle. After the saddle is placed on the horse, the latigo is pulled up by hand until the proper tightness of the front girth is obtained. Like the front girth, the flank girth is typically a leather strap that extends from one side of the rear portion of the saddle to the other side behind the rib cage to keep the rear portion of the saddle down on the back of the horse. For a girth to sufficiently hold a Western saddle to a horse and prevent the saddle from slipping or turning, the front girth and the flank girth need to be extremely tight. This causes discomfort to the horse and increases sores and chafing while also restricting the horse""s natural breathing.
Girths, especially those used with English saddles, typically allow considerable movement of the saddle laterally and longitudinally on the horse when performing rapid action events such as jumping, dressage or polo. For example, in a polo game, the rider will place more weight on the stirrup on the side of the horse where the ball is to be hit, tending to cause the saddle to laterally rotate several degrees to that side. Saddles also shift along the longitudinal axis of the horse during equestrian events like jumping. This saddle movement is dangerous and disconcerting to the rider and can also cause sores and chafing on the horse""s withers, shoulder blades, and/or back. Further, the girth""s repeated side-to-side and/or front-to-back movement can irritate the horse""s ribcage and/or skin along the chest and sides of the horse.
A primary factor in saddle movement and the associated problems caused thereby is the traditional design of girths. Many popular horses do not have a flat chest but have a barrel or rounded chest, such as Arabian and Quarter horses. A barrel chest is broad at the midsection to form the apex of the chest and narrows considerably toward the front and the rear of the horse. Traditionally, girths have been straight and wrapped across the apex of the horse""s chest directly beneath the point at which the girth is attached to the saddle. However, the tapering of the chest away from the apex permits the girth to slide forward and backward along the horse""s chest which allows the saddle to slip back and forth longitudinally along the spine of the horse. The solution to date is to further tighten the girth, a solution which is not a good one as far as the horse is concerned.
An example of a saddle girth is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,533, to Larisch. Larisch discloses a typical saddle girth used to hold an English saddle to a horse. As discussed above, the saddle girth disclosed in Larisch is straight from end-to-end and is pulled across the apex of the horse""s chest just beneath the point at which the girth is attached to the saddle. This design allows the girth to slide forward towards the forelegs during use, which loosens both the saddle and girth. This allows the saddle to slide longitudinally along the back of the horse causing sores and chafing while the girth rubs against the chest and forelegs inflicting the same ailments.
Another example of a saddle girth is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,130,214, to Wright. Wright discloses a saddle girth that has an S-shaped curve at both ends of the girth near the buckle/saddle to position the rest of the girth in a plane posterior to the portion of the horse at which the girth is attached to the saddle. The curves disclosed in Wright locate the girth across the underside of the horse at a point substantially further back than a traditional saddle girth. Like Larisch, the saddle girth disclosed in Wright has a tendency to shift forward towards the forelegs when the girth is situated over the apex of the horse""s chest. Again, this causes the saddle to loosen and shift upon the back of the horse and permits the saddle girth to rub against the chest and forelegs, both causing sores and chafing. If the curves disclosed in Wright are substantial and the girth is located behind the apex of the chest towards the hindlegs, the girth will pass over the lower ribs or behind the rib cage. A girth in this position will cause discomfort and possible internal injury to the horse if overtightened.
One possible way to overcome the problems and disadvantages described above would be by creating a saddle girth that is curved instead of straight. However, saddle girths of this type would fail because they would have a tendency to straighten when tightened or after the girth has been used repeatedly. When straightened, such saddle girths are no better than the traditional saddle girths discussed above.
To overcome the problems and disadvantages of the approaches discussed above, it is an objective of the saddle girth of the present invention to securely hold the saddle on the back of the horse and prevent the saddle from shifting during use. The girth should accomplish this objective by being capable of use with traditional style saddles and wrapping across the horse""s chest or sternum area forward the apex of the chest.
It is a further objective that the saddle girth of the present invention retains its position over the sternum area of the horse so that the girth does not rub against the skin or forelegs to cause sores and chafing. The girth should also not be allowed to pass towards the posterior of the horse to cause discomfort or internal damage to the horse.
Another objective of the saddle girth is that it should provide a rider greater stability, comfort and confidence when used in combination with a saddle. The saddle girth should also be constructed to be comfortable to the horse and capable of absorbing perspiration.
Finally, it is also an objective of the saddle girth that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
The disadvantages and limitations of the background art discussed above are overcome by a saddle girth for holding a saddle securely on the back of a horse as taught by the present invention. When the saddle girth is used in combination with a saddle, the girth minimizes saddle movement longitudinally along the back of the horse, thereby preventing sores and chafing while providing safety and comfort for horse and rider alike. A brief summary of the invention follows.
The saddle girth is constructed from a girth band having a central portion and two opposing straight segments. Each opposing straight segment extends away from the central portion of the girth band at an angle to form a chevron-shaped girth. The saddle girth may be in the shape of a true chevron, with the two straight segments coming substantially to a point at the central portion, or the girth may have a chevron-like shape with a substantially straight central portion between the two straight segments which are angled with respect to the central portion. The total length of the girth is determined by the size and the shape of the horse, but typically falls between the range of approximately nine-tenths of a meter (0.9 m.) and one and three-tenths meters (1.3 m.), and has a width between approximately five centimeters (5 cm.) and fifteen centimeters (15 cm.).
The central portion may be sized to fit over the sternum of the horse which is the strongest portion of the horse""s chest. In addition, the circumference of the chest at this point remains more constant during breathing than does the lower chest area. These characteristics permit the girth to be sufficiently tightened around the horse while providing the horse with the greatest degree of comfort. The length of the central section will typically not exceed approximately thirty-two centimeters (32 cm.), and may at the other extreme have no length at all (i.e., the central portion is entirely eliminated). In other embodiments, the central portion may have a longer length to extend the central portion beyond the sternum area.
The angle by which each opposing straight segment extends away from the central portion may also vary with the shape and size of the horse, the position of the saddle and the length of the central portion. The angle will be smaller when the horse is smaller, the saddle is forward on the back of the horse and/or the central portion becomes shorter in length. If any of these factors are inversed, the angle will have to be increased accordingly. Generally, each straight segment will be at an angle less than approximately forty-five degrees (45xc2x0) as measured from the central portion, but will usually fall between the range of approximately one degree (1xc2x0) and thirty degrees (30xc2x0). Most often, however, the angle will be in the range of approximately five degrees (5xc2x0) and ten degrees (10xc2x0) as this is sufficient to properly locate the girth around the chest of the horse and to position the girth for removable attachment to the saddle.
Each opposing segment has one or more straps that extend beyond the distal end of each segment and are affixed to the girth band by stitching or other wellknown methods. The straps may vary in size and form and may extend across the entire girth band or be joined to the girth band near each distal end of the straight segment. Additionally, the number of straps may vary depending on the style of saddle and how the girth is to be connected to the saddle. Most often, the straps will have a connector, such as a buckle, to attach the girth to the saddle straps of the saddle. The buckle may be a conventional buckle with a frame and a tongue or any other type of connector that can be removably attached to the saddle strap. The connector allows the girth to be adjusted so that the girth may be either loosened or tightened around the horse.
The girth band has an outside surface which will face away from the horse and an inside surface which will be positioned against the body of the horse when the girth is removably attached to the saddle. The outside surface is joined to the inside surface by stitching or other well-known methods known by those skilled in the art. To provide additional comfort for the horse, a cushion may be inserted between the outside surface and the inside surface. This cushion may be constructed from foam, rubber, neoprene, gel-filled polymer or any other type of cushioning material that would help create a more comfortable girth for the horse.
The materials used to make the girth depend largely upon aesthetics and functionality. Leather is commonly used for horse saddles and saddle accessories because leather is traditional, wears well, and can be tanned to varying degrees of stiffness and appearance. Other materials which may be used for saddle accessories include less traditional synthetics like nylon or natural fiber materials made from cotton or hemp that can wear well and are inexpensive to manufacture, although these types of material are aesthetically and traditionally less desirable.
When leather is used to construct the girth, the outside surface should be made of leather tanned to be relatively stiff and capable of luster. A stiff-tanned leather is resistant to stretching and change of shape. Stiff leather also provides the girth resistance to scuffing and damage and permits the girth to be polished to a luster which is a characteristic that is aesthetically pleasing to many people in the horse industry.
Conversely, the inside surface should be made from a material that is supple and perhaps even absorbent to provide comfort for the horse and absorb perspiration. Any material that provides these characteristics may be used for the inside surface, including soft leather, felt, sheepskin, cotton or other similar types of material.
When using the saddle girth taught by the present invention, the girth is positioned under the horse so that the central portion is directed towards the front of the horse with the opposing straight segments angled to extend upwardly and to the posterior of the central portion. When the girth is located in its proper position, one straight segment of the girth may be removably connected to the far-side of the saddle with the connectors and the corresponding saddle straps. The girth may then be positioned around the chest of the horse forward of the apex of the horse""s chest. As discussed above, the girth may be positioned over the sternum which provides the most support for the girth and least amount of discomfort on the horse. Attaching the girth to the saddle may be completed by pulling the saddle straps through the corresponding connectors and lifting up on the saddle straps so that the girth is snug to the body of the horse. The connectors can then be removably attached to the saddle straps to maintain the girth in position and secure the saddle to the horse.
The angle of each straight segment allows the central portion of the girth to be positioned forward of the apex of the horse""s chest when the straight segments are removably connected to the saddle. After the saddle girth is tightened in this position, the saddle girth is prevented from moving back on the horse due to the horse""s barrel chest shape, and will not slide forward because the girth is limited in length and is fit snug to the horse. By minimizing the opportunity for movement of the saddle girth backward and forward, the saddle remains located in a substantially fixed position on the back of the horse to provide additional safety to a rider and to prevent sores and chafing.
Thus, it may be seen that the saddle girth of the present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations associated with the prior art by providing the aforesaid characteristics. The saddle girth securely locates the saddle on the back of the horse in its initial position minimizing the saddle from movement during use. This is accomplished by locating the saddle girth across the sternum area in front of the apex of the horse""s chest and removably connecting the saddle girth to traditional style saddles currently used with horses.
The saddle girth also retains its position over the sternum area of the horse to minimize the saddle girth from rubbing against the skin or forelegs to prevent sores and chafing. The girth is prevented from sliding to the posterior portion of the horse by the configuration of the girth and its placement in front of the apex of the horse""s chest to limit any discomfort or the chances of internal injury to the horse.
The saddle girth of the present invention also provides a rider with greater stability, comfort and confidence by maintaining the stability of the saddle. Further, the saddle girth is constructed to be comfortable to the horse and capable of absorbing perspiration.
Finally, all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
The above summary sets forth rather broadly the most important features of the present invention so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter, which will form the subject matter of the invention. In this respect, before explaining an embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application. The details of the construction and the arrangements set forth in the following description are illustrated in the drawings. However, the present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and not limitation.